Hot Rats [Original recording remastered]

Amazon.com essential recording
Frank Zappa's first solo album, Hot Rats is a far-cry from the da-da adventures and audio collages of the original Mothers of Invention. Mostly instrumental and filled with long jams between Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ian Underwood, this slickly-produced album--one of the first 16 track recordings made--is filled with hummable tunes. The opening track, "Peaches en Regalia," is one of Zappa's most enduring songs and the album's only vocal track, "Willie the Pimp," is by Zappa's long-time friend Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. --Andrew Boscardin

From the Label
This is probably the first FZ album that Most-Folks-Who-Don't-Even-Like-Frank Zappa ever bought, and the one that began to establish him as a virtuoso musician and composer. Mostly instrumental with Captain Beefheart providing off-color commentary on Willie The Pimp's "twenny dollah bill."

After dropping a few hints on UNCLE MEAT, this was where FZ began to pursue jazz/rock composition in earnest; and "Peaches En Regalia" remains a strong contender for the catchiest tune in his whole catalogue. Backed by the impressive likes of Sugarcane Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty, he delivers the first full-scale demonstrations of his guitar prowess. Of special interest: "The Gumbo Variations" originally had to be edited to fit on a vinyl record; and is now restored to its 17-minute entirety.

Hot Rats,Frank Zappa,Rykodisc,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Hot Rats [Original recording remastered]

Average customer rating: A unique gem in the Zappa discography. Not my cup of tea Hot Rats zappa's supreme masterpiece. SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot Rats Frank Zappa Manufacturer: Zappa Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Grand Wazoo One Size Fits All Apostrophe (') Burnt Weeny Sandwich Over-Nite Sensation ASIN: B0000009S3 Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

1. Peaches En Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. The Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be A Camel

Amazon.com essential recording

Frank Zappa's first solo album, Hot Rats is a far-cry from the da-da adventures and audio collages of the original Mothers of Invention. Mostly instrumental and filled with long jams between Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ian Underwood, this slickly-produced album--one of the first 16 track recordings made--is filled with hummable tunes. The opening track, "Peaches en Regalia," is one of Zappa's most enduring songs and the album's only vocal track, "Willie the Pimp," is by Zappa's long-time friend Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

A unique gem in the Zappa discography........2007-07-06

A great majority of Frank Zappa's albums, masterpieces though they often were, tended to focus more on lyrical subversion and off-the-wall comedy than on the man's musical abilities. Which is an incredible shame when one considers just how gifted a musician Zappa was; the guy had an incredible knack for crafting tight, smart, and original melodies that were still incredibly endearing and catchy, as well as some uncanny improvisational skills that allowed him to create some of the greatest guitar solos ever played. As a writer and performer of music, Zappa was eclectic and fiercly original, taking as many cues from jazz and 20th Century composition as he did from rock, R&B, and Doo-Wop (the latter had always been one of his greatest passions) and combining them into a unique and virtually uncatogorizable sound that'll probably be inspiring artists and listeners for years to come.

Which is where this album comes in. Temporarily stepping away from the social commentary and envelope-pushing found on many of his other records, Hot Rots is a collection of instrumentals (with the exception of one vocal number, which I'll get to in a little bit). As such, it reveals the incredible nature of Zappa's musical skill. The opening number, "Peaches En Regalia," is in many ways an ideal summation of FZ's appeal, with its playful melody, complex arrangement, and dazzling instrumentation. "Willie the Pimp," the album's only vocal number, is another absolute classic: It's a pounding, greasy blues-rock classic, with a searing violin line (courtesy of Don "Sugarcane" Harris) and an absolutely nasty vocal from Zappa's longtime buddy, Captain Beefheart. However, the song's finest asset is an epic guitar solo from the master of ceremonies himself- at over seven minutes in length, it's an absolute monster, a blistering, brutal assault on the senses that spits forth burst after burst of hyperactive melody while somehow channeling the best aspects of both heavy metal and funk. It is, in short, a stunner, and an undeniable testament to Frank Zappa's unparalelled powers as a musician. Equally (if not more) incredible is "The Gumbo Variations," a scorching jam that reaches nearly seventeen minutes in length. This one isn't even playful- it's greasy, mean, unforgiving, and explosive, a blues-soaked grinder that sees Zappa, Harris, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood playing some of the greatest solos ever. On saxophone, Underwood is an inspired madman, palying some brilliant combination of free jazz and barroom rock, while Zappa and Harris maintain the mood with stomach-churning finesse. The other three songs on the album, while they don't match the heart-stopping power of the ones I've already described, are still fantastic: "Son of Mr. Green Genes" is a shape shifter with some wonderfully all-over-the-place soloing from Zappa and a melody that steadily ascends toward a glorious climax, while "It Must Be A Camel" is a dreamy, spacy piece with some apealingly off-kilter rhythms and a lulling piano line. The horns on the latter song are among the album's jazziest touches. "Little Umbrellas" is a tense, hypnotic number that constantly threatens (but never quite manages) to slip into discord and dissonance.

In short, Hot Rats is one of Zappa's greatest albums, a musical masterpiece that really should be in the collection of any real fan of music (no matte what genre it is).

Not my cup of tea.......2007-06-17

I see that mostly everyone is rating this album 5 stars, so I must be wrong but I just don't like it. I have other Zappa cd that I like a lot, like "Overnight Sensation", "Apostrophe", "Joe's Garage I-II-II, and "Sheik Yerbouti" that I enjoy a lot, but ot this one.

Hot Rats.......2007-05-08

Frank Zappa-Hot Rats *****


In early 1969 Frank Zappa decided to leave the original Mothers Of Invention behind and strike it out on his own. Hot Rats was Frank Zappa's very first solo album away from the great Mothers Of Invention, and it turned out being one of his greatest triumphs with or without The Mothers. This mostly instrumental album with the exception of 'Willie The Pimp.' A mixture of large soundscapes and jazz fusion and smooth jazz thrown angerly against a wall of rock n' roll is the best way to describe the sound of Hot Rats.

Frank Zappa and Ian Underwood are the only musicians to play on every piece of music. ''Piece of music'' you ask why? Well becuase it is just unfair to call the tracks on the album songs that is why. Zappa comes alive on this album proving that he is unofficialy the worlds most underrated and overlooked guitar player, as well as bass player but more so on guitar. Zappa also lends a hand to the percussion on the album. Underwood the multi musician he is lends his lips to almost all of the horns on the album and plays most of the piano. Hot Rats is also the album that first showed the world what a magnificient musical arranger that Frank Zappa was. His ear for notes and sounds, and his comprehension of complex time signatures shines brightly through this album like the tecnicolor dream coat.

'Peaches En Regalia' opens the album and this strange piece of music managed to become one of Zappas best known pieces. Heavy in acoustic guitar with an amazing classical guitar solo from Zappa, and loads of organ and horns from Underwood. Also one of the mans most beautiful recordings as well, arranged like a mini symphony 'Peaches En Regalia' is one of the best reasons why Zappa is loved by his fans so strongly.

The only vocal track on the album 'Willie The Pimp' contains vocals from the legendary Captain Beefheart. The track opens with incendiary violen playing from Sugar Cane Harris which really adds to the over all sound of the album making this one of the most original tracks Zappa had done up to this point. This is the very first song to show the world what a fantasticly talentedly vituiosic guitar player Zappa was. His solos over the track are insane and I dare anyone to say Zappa is not one of the worlds top ten guitar players after hearing it.

'Son Of Mr. Green Genes' is a more happy sounding piece with lots of keyboards and is very jazzy. Once again Zappa plays some pehnomonal guitar using his wah-wah pedal not as a wah-wah sound but to get a midrange alternate sound to his guitar. Playing in odd tunings and using unusual chords and changes the mans playing make this one of the more interesting tracks on the album.

'Little Umbrellas' is randomly short for this album, be careful you might miss it if your not paying attention. Lots of great piano work and incredible horns make this track short and sweet.

'The Gumbo Variations' might just be the very best thing that Frank Zappa ever recorded with anyone. It is nearly seventeen minutes long and is fantastic from start to finish with never a dull moment. Before when the album was released on vinyl the song was not able to be released in its full length because of the length but now you get the full piece. The guitar interplay with Zappa and Underwoods horns is outragious. The track is beyond phenomonal, A measterpiece if you will.

'It must Be A Camel' closes the album and does so effortlesly. The random time changes and signatures through out make this a non stop thrill ride. Incredible, it is as if Zappa wrote the piece to close the album on pupose so to perfectly seague out.

This album is the penicle of Frank Zappa. This is the quintessential Zappa album, the one that you must own to call yourself a fan, the one you must own even if your not a fan.

zappa's supreme masterpiece........2007-03-31

I am not a huge fan of zappa's music, but I am a huge fan of this album. Nothing else he did ever came close to matching the emotional and intense genius of this music. "Peaches en regalia," the opening track, is a splendid, catchy instrumental, that's goofy and pure fun. Then comes "Willie The Pimp," an intense rock and roll song with frenzied, possessed vocals by Captain Beefheart. It's the only song on the album with vocals: nine minutes and sixteen seconds of mayhem with a great guitar jam that is pure power. "Son of Mr. Green Genes" is a piece of music that wouldn't sound out of place on any fine prog-rock album from the era. Divine and accomplished, an excellent display of zappa's composition talents . For me, the best piece on the album, though, is the epic avant-garde jazz fusion freakout called "the gumbo variations." this is roughly seventeen minutes of wild and inspired playing. A fella named Ian Underwood is the star of the show here, blowing his heart out on saxophone and clarinet in a pure state of emotional frenzy. This great track brings to mind one of my favorite albums of this era, Soft Machine's masterpiece, simply called "Third." "The gumbo variations," would fit right in on that classic Soft Machine album. As I said, I am not the biggest fan of zappa's music in general, but boy do I love this album. "Hot Rats" is a classic that sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard it in the late seventies. Do yourself a favor and discover this vital music.

SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-03-12

ESTA OBRA REPRESENTA UNA DE LAS TANTAS VECES EN QUE FRANK ZAPPA SE DESPEGA DEL RESTO DE LOS COMPOSITORES PARA ELEVARSE EN UNA DIMENSION QUE SOLO EL PUEDE ALCANZAR..DIFICIL ES IMAGINAR COMO SE PUEDE ATAR A UN PENTAGRAMA TERRIBLE GALOPE DE NOTAS..EXCELSA COMPANIA DE MUSICOS COMO SUGAR CANE HARRIS, IAN UNDERWOOD, JEAN LUC PONTY Y DEMAS..TODO EL TALENTO DE ZAPPA ESTA SERVIDO, SENCILLO Y DEMOLEDOR COMO NUNCA!!!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Hot Rats (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Frank Zappa Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Apostrophe (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Overnight Sensation (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Absolutely Free (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Sheik Yerbouti (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) We're Only in It for the Money (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) ASIN: B000A2H59W Release Date: 1987-01-01

Tracks:

1. Peaches In Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. The Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be A Camel

Album Description

Imported from Japan by Rykodisc.

Packaged in deluxe mini-album jacket sleeves, these 10 classic albums by rock legend FRANK ZAPPA are now available as limited edition Japanese Imports! These packages re-create the original vinyl packaging in miniaturized form!

Average customer rating: A unique gem in the Zappa discography. Not my cup of tea Hot Rats zappa's supreme masterpiece. SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot Rats Frank Zappa Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Grand Wazoo One Size Fits All Apostrophe (') Burnt Weeny Sandwich Over-Nite Sensation ASIN: B0000009N1 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Peaches en Regalia
2. Willie the Pimp
3. Son of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be a Camel

Amazon.com essential recording

Frank Zappa's first solo album, Hot Rats is a far-cry from the da-da adventures and audio collages of the original Mothers of Invention. Mostly instrumental and filled with long jams between Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ian Underwood, this slickly-produced album--one of the first 16 track recordings made--is filled with hummable tunes. The opening track, "Peaches en Regalia," is one of Zappa's most enduring songs and the album's only vocal track, "Willie the Pimp," is by Zappa's long-time friend Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

A unique gem in the Zappa discography........2007-07-06

A great majority of Frank Zappa's albums, masterpieces though they often were, tended to focus more on lyrical subversion and off-the-wall comedy than on the man's musical abilities. Which is an incredible shame when one considers just how gifted a musician Zappa was; the guy had an incredible knack for crafting tight, smart, and original melodies that were still incredibly endearing and catchy, as well as some uncanny improvisational skills that allowed him to create some of the greatest guitar solos ever played. As a writer and performer of music, Zappa was eclectic and fiercly original, taking as many cues from jazz and 20th Century composition as he did from rock, R&B, and Doo-Wop (the latter had always been one of his greatest passions) and combining them into a unique and virtually uncatogorizable sound that'll probably be inspiring artists and listeners for years to come.

Which is where this album comes in. Temporarily stepping away from the social commentary and envelope-pushing found on many of his other records, Hot Rots is a collection of instrumentals (with the exception of one vocal number, which I'll get to in a little bit). As such, it reveals the incredible nature of Zappa's musical skill. The opening number, "Peaches En Regalia," is in many ways an ideal summation of FZ's appeal, with its playful melody, complex arrangement, and dazzling instrumentation. "Willie the Pimp," the album's only vocal number, is another absolute classic: It's a pounding, greasy blues-rock classic, with a searing violin line (courtesy of Don "Sugarcane" Harris) and an absolutely nasty vocal from Zappa's longtime buddy, Captain Beefheart. However, the song's finest asset is an epic guitar solo from the master of ceremonies himself- at over seven minutes in length, it's an absolute monster, a blistering, brutal assault on the senses that spits forth burst after burst of hyperactive melody while somehow channeling the best aspects of both heavy metal and funk. It is, in short, a stunner, and an undeniable testament to Frank Zappa's unparalelled powers as a musician. Equally (if not more) incredible is "The Gumbo Variations," a scorching jam that reaches nearly seventeen minutes in length. This one isn't even playful- it's greasy, mean, unforgiving, and explosive, a blues-soaked grinder that sees Zappa, Harris, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood playing some of the greatest solos ever. On saxophone, Underwood is an inspired madman, palying some brilliant combination of free jazz and barroom rock, while Zappa and Harris maintain the mood with stomach-churning finesse. The other three songs on the album, while they don't match the heart-stopping power of the ones I've already described, are still fantastic: "Son of Mr. Green Genes" is a shape shifter with some wonderfully all-over-the-place soloing from Zappa and a melody that steadily ascends toward a glorious climax, while "It Must Be A Camel" is a dreamy, spacy piece with some apealingly off-kilter rhythms and a lulling piano line. The horns on the latter song are among the album's jazziest touches. "Little Umbrellas" is a tense, hypnotic number that constantly threatens (but never quite manages) to slip into discord and dissonance.

In short, Hot Rats is one of Zappa's greatest albums, a musical masterpiece that really should be in the collection of any real fan of music (no matte what genre it is).

Not my cup of tea.......2007-06-17

I see that mostly everyone is rating this album 5 stars, so I must be wrong but I just don't like it. I have other Zappa cd that I like a lot, like "Overnight Sensation", "Apostrophe", "Joe's Garage I-II-II, and "Sheik Yerbouti" that I enjoy a lot, but ot this one.

Hot Rats.......2007-05-08

Frank Zappa-Hot Rats *****


In early 1969 Frank Zappa decided to leave the original Mothers Of Invention behind and strike it out on his own. Hot Rats was Frank Zappa's very first solo album away from the great Mothers Of Invention, and it turned out being one of his greatest triumphs with or without The Mothers. This mostly instrumental album with the exception of 'Willie The Pimp.' A mixture of large soundscapes and jazz fusion and smooth jazz thrown angerly against a wall of rock n' roll is the best way to describe the sound of Hot Rats.

Frank Zappa and Ian Underwood are the only musicians to play on every piece of music. ''Piece of music'' you ask why? Well becuase it is just unfair to call the tracks on the album songs that is why. Zappa comes alive on this album proving that he is unofficialy the worlds most underrated and overlooked guitar player, as well as bass player but more so on guitar. Zappa also lends a hand to the percussion on the album. Underwood the multi musician he is lends his lips to almost all of the horns on the album and plays most of the piano. Hot Rats is also the album that first showed the world what a magnificient musical arranger that Frank Zappa was. His ear for notes and sounds, and his comprehension of complex time signatures shines brightly through this album like the tecnicolor dream coat.

'Peaches En Regalia' opens the album and this strange piece of music managed to become one of Zappas best known pieces. Heavy in acoustic guitar with an amazing classical guitar solo from Zappa, and loads of organ and horns from Underwood. Also one of the mans most beautiful recordings as well, arranged like a mini symphony 'Peaches En Regalia' is one of the best reasons why Zappa is loved by his fans so strongly.

The only vocal track on the album 'Willie The Pimp' contains vocals from the legendary Captain Beefheart. The track opens with incendiary violen playing from Sugar Cane Harris which really adds to the over all sound of the album making this one of the most original tracks Zappa had done up to this point. This is the very first song to show the world what a fantasticly talentedly vituiosic guitar player Zappa was. His solos over the track are insane and I dare anyone to say Zappa is not one of the worlds top ten guitar players after hearing it.

'Son Of Mr. Green Genes' is a more happy sounding piece with lots of keyboards and is very jazzy. Once again Zappa plays some pehnomonal guitar using his wah-wah pedal not as a wah-wah sound but to get a midrange alternate sound to his guitar. Playing in odd tunings and using unusual chords and changes the mans playing make this one of the more interesting tracks on the album.

'Little Umbrellas' is randomly short for this album, be careful you might miss it if your not paying attention. Lots of great piano work and incredible horns make this track short and sweet.

'The Gumbo Variations' might just be the very best thing that Frank Zappa ever recorded with anyone. It is nearly seventeen minutes long and is fantastic from start to finish with never a dull moment. Before when the album was released on vinyl the song was not able to be released in its full length because of the length but now you get the full piece. The guitar interplay with Zappa and Underwoods horns is outragious. The track is beyond phenomonal, A measterpiece if you will.

'It must Be A Camel' closes the album and does so effortlesly. The random time changes and signatures through out make this a non stop thrill ride. Incredible, it is as if Zappa wrote the piece to close the album on pupose so to perfectly seague out.

This album is the penicle of Frank Zappa. This is the quintessential Zappa album, the one that you must own to call yourself a fan, the one you must own even if your not a fan.

zappa's supreme masterpiece........2007-03-31

I am not a huge fan of zappa's music, but I am a huge fan of this album. Nothing else he did ever came close to matching the emotional and intense genius of this music. "Peaches en regalia," the opening track, is a splendid, catchy instrumental, that's goofy and pure fun. Then comes "Willie The Pimp," an intense rock and roll song with frenzied, possessed vocals by Captain Beefheart. It's the only song on the album with vocals: nine minutes and sixteen seconds of mayhem with a great guitar jam that is pure power. "Son of Mr. Green Genes" is a piece of music that wouldn't sound out of place on any fine prog-rock album from the era. Divine and accomplished, an excellent display of zappa's composition talents . For me, the best piece on the album, though, is the epic avant-garde jazz fusion freakout called "the gumbo variations." this is roughly seventeen minutes of wild and inspired playing. A fella named Ian Underwood is the star of the show here, blowing his heart out on saxophone and clarinet in a pure state of emotional frenzy. This great track brings to mind one of my favorite albums of this era, Soft Machine's masterpiece, simply called "Third." "The gumbo variations," would fit right in on that classic Soft Machine album. As I said, I am not the biggest fan of zappa's music in general, but boy do I love this album. "Hot Rats" is a classic that sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard it in the late seventies. Do yourself a favor and discover this vital music.

SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-03-12

ESTA OBRA REPRESENTA UNA DE LAS TANTAS VECES EN QUE FRANK ZAPPA SE DESPEGA DEL RESTO DE LOS COMPOSITORES PARA ELEVARSE EN UNA DIMENSION QUE SOLO EL PUEDE ALCANZAR..DIFICIL ES IMAGINAR COMO SE PUEDE ATAR A UN PENTAGRAMA TERRIBLE GALOPE DE NOTAS..EXCELSA COMPANIA DE MUSICOS COMO SUGAR CANE HARRIS, IAN UNDERWOOD, JEAN LUC PONTY Y DEMAS..TODO EL TALENTO DE ZAPPA ESTA SERVIDO, SENCILLO Y DEMOLEDOR COMO NUNCA!!!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating: Hot Rats Never heard something like this

Hot Rats Frank Zappa Manufacturer: Zappa Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: We're Only in It for the Money (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Freak Out! Apostrophe (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Absolutely Free (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD) Weasels Ripped My Flesh ASIN: B00005MIJ0 Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

1. Peaches In Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. The Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be A Camel

Album Description

Japanese limited edition reissue of 1969 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Limited LP Style Slipcase Cover. Strictly Limited to 2000 Copies!

Customer Reviews:

Hot Rats.......2007-05-08

Frank Zappa-Hot Rats *****


In early 1969 Frank Zappa decided to leave the original Mothers Of Invention behind and strike it out on his own. Hot Rats was Frank Zappa's very first solo album away from the great Mothers Of Invention, and it turned out being one of his greatest triumphs with or without The Mothers. This mostly instrumental album with the exception of 'Willie The Pimp.' A mixture of large soundscapes and jazz fusion and smooth jazz thrown angerly against a wall of rock n' roll is the best way to describe the sound of Hot Rats.

Frank Zappa and Ian Underwood are the only musicians to play on every piece of music. ''Piece of music'' you ask why? Well becuase it is just unfair to call the tracks on the album songs that is why. Zappa comes alive on this album proving that he is unofficialy the worlds most underrated and overlooked guitar player, as well as bass player but more so on guitar. Zappa also lends a hand to the percussion on the album. Underwood the multi musician he is lends his lips to almost all of the horns on the album and plays most of the piano. Hot Rats is also the album that first showed the world what a magnificient musical arranger that Frank Zappa was. His ear for notes and sounds, and his comprehension of complex time signatures shines brightly through this album like the tecnicolor dream coat.

'Peaches En Regalia' opens the album and this strange piece of music managed to become one of Zappas best known pieces. Heavy in acoustic guitar with an amazing classical guitar solo from Zappa, and loads of organ and horns from Underwood. Also one of the mans most beautiful recordings as well, arranged like a mini symphony 'Peaches En Regalia' is one of the best reasons why Zappa is loved by his fans so strongly.

The only vocal track on the album 'Willie The Pimp' contains vocals from the legendary Captain Beefheart. The track opens with incendiary violen playing from Sugar Cane Harris which really adds to the over all sound of the album making this one of the most original tracks Zappa had done up to this point. This is the very first song to show the world what a fantasticly talentedly vituiosic guitar player Zappa was. His solos over the track are insane and I dare anyone to say Zappa is not one of the worlds top ten guitar players after hearing it.

'Son Of Mr. Green Genes' is a more happy sounding piece with lots of keyboards and is very jazzy. Once again Zappa plays some pehnomonal guitar using his wah-wah pedal not as a wah-wah sound but to get a midrange alternate sound to his guitar. Playing in odd tunings and using unusual chords and changes the mans playing make this one of the more interesting tracks on the album.

'Little Umbrellas' is randomly short for this album, be careful you might miss it if your not paying attention. Lots of great piano work and incredible horns make this track short and sweet.

'The Gumbo Variations' might just be the very best thing that Frank Zappa ever recorded with anyone. It is nearly seventeen minutes long and is fantastic from start to finish with never a dull moment. Before when the album was released on vinyl the song was not able to be released in its full length because of the length but now you get the full piece. The guitar interplay with Zappa and Underwoods horns is outragious. The track is beyond phenomonal, A measterpiece if you will.

'It must Be A Camel' closes the album and does so effortlesly. The random time changes and signatures through out make this a non stop thrill ride. Incredible, it is as if Zappa wrote the piece to close the album on pupose so to perfectly seague out.

This album is the penicle of Frank Zappa. This is the quintessential Zappa album, the one that you must own to call yourself a fan, the one you must own even if your not a fan.

Never heard something like this.......2006-01-23

I think I haven't heard something like this before and I have thousands of Jazz and rock fusion cds from any era. This album it is one of the fews that really blew me away since its first listening. It's melodic content, its inventions are exceptional such as the overall musical value. Its improvisations too even if I'm used to listen to very high level improvisations (from the best Jazz cats). You simply have to listen to "Peaches in regalia" to be absolutly hooked. It's incredible! It's a sort of small avant garde composition, a sort of small portrait of uncanny beauty! Wow I'm listening to it just know for the ten hundreds thousands time! It's so brilliant, funny, it's ridicolous! Perfect futurama from the sixties!

Ok guys I'll begin this review telling you exactly which are the overall best albums from Frank Zappa because I think only a newcomer in the Man's Universe would read Hot rats reviews to know what its all about. Every person who knows Zappa knows and love Hot rats, so the target of this review is you, the one who don't know Zappa (on planet Earth!! .. where have you been? Have you slept all these years? .. just joking ...). Knowing Zappa is something not so easy to do for the newcomer due to the immense discography from the man. But if you want to know immediatly what to buy first ok, you have read the right review. They are, Grand Wazoo, Waka Jawaka and Hot rats (even not in this order or better, buy ALL THE THREE TOGETHER). I'm talking about the best studio albums. And probably the best from a compositional standpoint. And please be aware that I'm talking about music, not about lyrics or comedy, goofy antics, theatrics or whatever. In this trilogy you'll find some of the VERY best music from the man especially if you're an open minded kind of guy and you are already familiar with different musical stuff, Jazz, psychedelia, rock, progressive, classical. If you already know quite well these "materials" you will be able to understand what Zappa did with them and to enjoy the deepest his contribution to the music world and the intensity of his music contained here, in the majestic Hot Rats. If you wouldn't like these three albums I frankly doubt that you could love another album from the man. These three are the most brilliant, have the most clever music writing, the best improvisations, the best of the best in the Zappa's Universe. They are instrumental albums and it is self explanatory why they are the best musically. Frank did concentrate on music exclusively and the results are under everyone's ear. Exceptional. Some people say this album is "Jazz-rock". I don't think so, I don't agree. It is a straight rock album (psychedelic and avant garde at least), this music in the end doesn't swing, it does not have complex chord progressions, people improvise freely mainly on pentatonics not following the chords progressions (not addressing the chords) and the gear used is not classical Jazz stuff (double bass, piano, etc). You have a sort of more or less "clear" Jazz approach only in "The Gumbo variations" where the sax has the main role, but nevertheless we're more in a rock-funky field than a Jazz one. Jazz is something else even if the sax player really used here and there a sort of Coltrane alike language. This album has a straight rock beat, I would call it a psychedelic progressive rock album, it's not Jazz. Grand Wazoo is more Jazzier and even Waka jawaka in a sense. But there's NOT BEBOP here. Just to be perfectly clear. Some people use the word "Jazz" to nobilitate a thing, to say it is intellectual, refined, sophisticated armonically. But it is a wrong use of the term. THIS IS NOT JAZZ, neither Jazz rock. Ok, this said, this album is all these things, but still it's not Jazz, it's not even Jazz rock. I'm saying this to make Jazz mates (I'm one of them) know exactly what they could find here. You would find a brilliant composer, a psychedelic mind, a really creative man, a really clever, dense, passionate, impressive, really avant garde music (avant garde even compared to standards of today in a sense) , but you will not find Jazz here. No swing, no standards chord progressions, no bebop, no substitutions. This album rocks! And it rocks hard! Psyco rock! Brilliantly and completly devastating! I'm a Jazz, bebopcat, but an open minded one and I love to death this album and a lot of other Zappa's albums. Where there's creativity, intelligence, fun, intuitions, passion, art ... I'll be there! You have to be there with me too. Buy at least Hot rats, Wazoo and Waka! Zappa rules! Music is the best.

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Peaches En Regalia (3 inch CD single) Manufacturer: RYKO ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B000HHYAK2

Product Description

TRACKLIST: 1.Peaches en Regalia 2.I'm not Satisfied 3.Lucille has Messed My Mind up

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6. Let's Talk About Love [ENHANCED CD]
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8. Linda Ronstadt: Greatest Hits, Volume Two
9. Listener Supported [Live]
10. Live in Paris [Live]

Rap Music

rap music

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